Worth the trip: EPA, Oak Ridge group meet for ‘two full hours’

Though Mark Watson said a more detailed report would be forthcoming on the city of Oak Ridge’s Tuesday visit with the Environmental Protection Agency in Atlanta, Ga., the city manager told The Oak Ridger late Tuesday afternoon that the meeting was productive as four officials provided the visiting Oak Ridge team with “two full hours of full dialogue.”

Though Mark Watson said a more detailed report would be forthcoming on the city of Oak Ridge’s Tuesday visit with the Environmental Protection Agency in Atlanta, Ga., the city manager told The Oak Ridger late Tuesday afternoon that the meeting was productive as four officials provided the visiting Oak Ridge team with “two full hours of full dialogue.”

The city is currently under an EPA mandate to rehabilitate its 70-year-old sewer system by 2015 or face fines. Oak Ridge received the Administrative Order in 2010; and, though city staff has been working to improve the system for about 15 years, the EPA wants quicker results.

The city’s rehab plan could cost almost $24 million to complete.

“Four (City) Council members took the lead on this,” Watson said Tuesday.

“I think it was very important to have a face-to-face meeting,” added the city manager, reiterating he is hopeful there will be further discussions between the city and the EPA on this issue. Though several Oak Ridge City Council members were part of the team that traveled to Atlanta, Watson said the full Council will be fully briefed on the visit during a Monday meeting.

Meanwhile, the city manager emphasized: “We’re not out of the woods, but I believe there is a clearer understanding on both sides of this issue” thanks to Tuesday’s road trip.